System and method for producing a dehydrated food product

An apparatus for preparing a dried food product, comprising:

• (a) means for treating a dried food with an aqueous acidulant, in an amount and for a period of time which is sufficient to modify a surface of the food to increase water permeability and rehydrate the dried food;
• (b) means for dehydrating the treated dried food at a temperature above about 150F, until a desired moisture content is achieved;
• (c) first means for cooling the dehydrated treated food to a temperature below about 150F;
• (d) means for infusing the cooled dehydrated treated food with a heat labile infusate;
• and
• (e) second means for cooling the infused cooled dehydrated treated food to a temperature of between about 50F to 35F for packaging.

A method of forming a food product, comprising:

• rehydrating a dried fruit with an aqueous acidulant during tumbling in a continuous process cascading drum, to increase a porosity of a dried fruit skin and remove non-fruit components and dissolve at least a portion of soluble fruit components to produce a rehydrated fruit;
• draining aqueous acidulent and debris;
• dehydrating the drained rehydrated fruit at a temperature above about 150F, until a desired moisture content is achieved, to produce a porosified dehydrated fruit;
• cooling the porosified dehydrated fruit to a temperature below about 100F;
• infusing the cooled porosified dehydrated fruit with a liquid heat labile infusate which adds at least one flavor or nutritional component, to produce an infused dried fruit.